There are simply no adjectives left to describe how low and despicable the Clintons and their campaign are.

Imagine the frothing at the mouth that would be elicited by a supporter of Obama saying "The reason Clinton has lasted this long is because she's a woman". Oh, the horrors! The ringing accusations of sexism! The repeated conference calls with reporters denouncing the sexism in the Obama campaign!

And yet, something similar occurs, and we have the Clinton campaign saying, in essence, "Nyah, nyah, nyah. You started it!! Not us!!"

They think reporters and political junkies are gullible.

They should have dropped it. I've been saying that for 3 hours now. It just gives the clintons the opportunity to falsely claim that the obama campaign is playing the race card. DROP IT NOW!!!!!!

I'm sorry to see the Obama campaign lowering themselves to insisting who should or should not work for Clinton. Just because she does it doesn't make it productive. The rest of the primary campaign could be reduced to little more than these exchanges.

THUMP!! (sound of jaw hitting desk)

I've got news for Ms. Ferraro -- the Obama campaign does NOT need you to help raise money.

http://thepage.time.com/2008/03/11/obama-aide-calls-ferraro-remarks-far-worse-than-power-comments/

Obama is in first place in fundraising as well as states, votes, delegates, polls, and head-to-head matchups against John McCain.

And her argument is patently ridiculous -- if one of Obama's campaign chairmen said that Hillary Clinton is still in the race, despite weeks of losses, because she's a woman, you can be sure it would be called sexist by the Clinton campaign. Just as I think it would be sexist to say that Ms. Ferraro was a Vice Presidential nominee because she's a woman. Both candidates bring far more to the table than that, and it's offensive to reduce the argument to those terms.

It has become impossible to contort one's brain to follow, nevermind comprehend, the words that come out of the Clinton campaign mouths.

Oh lord.

What was that Obama said recently about the "silly season"?

Clinton camp new math:
Powers + "Monster" = Demand resignation from Obama campaign

Ferraro + "Lucky he's black" = How dare Obama use the race card.

Denounce and reject the racist

Ferrero now says she's being attacked by Obama because she's white.

http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_8533832
"Racism works in two different directions. I really think they're attacking me because I'm white. How's that?"

Here we go.

There's nothing good to be gained from this.

Patricia Williams has a piece in The Nation about how dangerous it is for Dems to be covering this ground:

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080324/williams

Why would they keep this alive? Because they think the race issue benefits them with certain voters in PA, just as it did in OH.

Exactly.

"In all honesty, do you think that if he were a white male, there would be a reason for the black community to get excited for a historic first?" Ferraro said. "Am I pointing out something that doesn't exist?"

I seem to recall quite a few white men with amazing charisma and rhetorical gifts that got the lion share of the African-American vote. Off the top of my head JFK and WJC.

Obviously having fired Solis Doyle and brought on Williams, the Clinton campaign is now a well oiled machine putting out a consistent message and avoid all traces of petty staff fights that proved so devisive to the campaign in the early going.

The tactics and double standard of the Clinton campaign is really pissing me off. I will never look at either of the Clintons to same way I did before this campaign started.

Ferraro:

“If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position.”

In the next sentence she says this:

"And if he was a woman (of any color) he would not be in this position."

My question: If Ferraro's primary message was about race, why did she include "women (of any color)" in her remarks?

Ferraro was talking about gender discrimination in the interview.

Original Quotation:

http://www.dailybreeze.com/lifeandculture/ci_8489268

Wouldn't "I know you are but what am I" have been much simpler...more efficient?

Look, Hillary Clinton is just like Geraldine Ferraro. Geraldine Ferraro ran a great general election campaign in '84. I'm sure Hillary Clinton could do the same thing in 2008.

My OWN FAMILY thinks I should vote for Hillary solely because she is a woman (as am I). But this is an insane and ridiculous and maybe even anti-feminist reason to cast a vote.

I vote for the BEST CANDIDATE.

The black community has every right to be excited that the BEST CANDIDATE also happens to be black. I'd be just as psyched if the BEST CANDIDATE had been a woman.

Not this time, I guess.

the absence of shame IS EXCELLENT NEWS!! FOR HILLARY!!!

Jake Tapper at ABC has a good reason for all of this. I don't always agree with him, but in this case I think he is 100% right
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/03/ferarro-and-the.html

He seems to think this is playing on the affirmative-action-took-my-job sentiment of working class PA.

This whole episode just reinforces Senator Obama's contention about his whole new politics. This is the same tactic Bush/Rove uses, as in the Swift Boat campaign: 1. Have a surrogate make a comment outside the pale that gets plenty of media attention. 2. When the opposing campaign points it out, accuse them of the exact action you just took. 3. Rely on Page 14 corrections two weeks later in the news that ensures all those too busy or ignorant to look will be left with the impression you want.

Senator Clinton and her campaign have basically adopted a hostage mentality during the last 8 years and have become Republicans. This is why Senator Obama offers something new, not the same old Washington thinking.

It would be nice if the press could react to these kinds of viscous attacks in a new way.

What?!!!

A brief peak into Howard Wolfson's spin notebook:

"Well, for their blatant sexism and racism in their criticism of a white woman, the only respectable thing now is for the entire Obama campaign to resign."

If it were only Black folks voting for Obama, he wouldn't be winning the presidential race right now. Look at the states he's won. Aside from South Carolina (like Jessie), he's won states like Iowa, Utah, Vermont, Wyoming, South Dakota. etc etc etc. Thank you smart, humanity seeking White folks. If it weren't for your being 'racist' against a nasty and wicked Hillary Clinton, Obama wouldn't be the frontrunna. LOL.

Ferraro is right.
exhibit a: John Edwards.

Bitch-Slap Theory, people!!!

Obama got slapped around on the Samantha Power thing, so he hit back on Ferraro.

So Hillary hit back harder!

Is this surprising? No, it's standard bitch-slap politics. Hillary is trying to turn a negative into a positive. She is trying to win the slapping contest. Whoever backs down will lose. It doesn't matter what the merits of Ferraro's comments are, or who "played the race card" first. This is all about broad impressions of toughness. Hillary is sending the superdelegates a message: "When McCain hits me in the general election, I'll hit him back harder!"

This means nothing. They trotted out Maggie Williams when the Drudge photo broke, too.

Folks, this is classic Clinton triangulation and not to be taken seriously. Ferraro made a disparaging and racist remark. Nothing Maggie Williams says (a Clinton aparatchik with her own crooked past can alter the inconveniences of reality.

You just have to understand that every day is Opposite Day in the Clinton campaign. They have convinced themselves that these antics are necessary to win elections. For them, deceit is not only tolerated, it's an organizing principle.

This is interesting, though. We are now seeing the piling onto this Ferraro comment by Clinton supporters in support of it. She's unleashed the beast, in all its ugliness, and given Hillaryheads the excuse they've been waiting for to expose a central tenet of their Obama hatred.

Obama supporters need to just sit back and let the Clintonistas eat themselves alive. They have moved so close to right-wing haters over the course of this campaign that it's becoming notable and newsworthy. VRWC, indeed.

And make no mistake about it, the Obama campaign had nothing at all to do with this. Geraldine Ferraro, in an interview with a rightwing hit man, made an ass of herself, all by herself.

Should she apologize? Who cares? In the end, it's better that the racists expose themselves and root themselves out.

And don't be fooled by their apparent new strategy to trot out Williams, an African-American, whenever there's a racial flare-up. It's a part of the game.

So Ferraro says something completely unecessary about Obama's race, to which the Obama campaign responses, and it's *he* who's playing the race card. Very insightful analysis from the Clinton campaign.

And yes Geraldine, they're after you because "you are white." I'd tell you that you've jumped the shark, but that phrase was invented 50 years after you stopped following pop culture.

"And if he was a woman (of any color) he would not be in this position."

What position is that, Ms. Unknown House member who was asked to be VP?

It is not racist, but untrue.

This is just a bizarre comment. If the CLinton campaign won't fire her for being a racist (which I am not sure she is), they should fire her because she is a buffoon.

I think many people posting here have no idea how toxic Ferraro's comments are. For the last 30 years every successful black professional has had to hear how he is only successful because of his race and not because of his talents. Good talented men and women have had to endure these insults. Less successful white coworkers carry these feelings as resentments even when they insist that they are not racist.

Ferraro now comes along and reminds all of these insecure white workers of low economic status who carry these resentments that Obama is just another one of these black people they should resent. Unfortunately, it will likely be a very effective campaign tactic on Hillary's part, this will have an impact with the blue collar and lower middle class workers struggling to make a living.

Obama has already attracted the most enlightened of the democrats so it is not possible that this particularly nasty tactic will cause any backlash amoung Hillary's remaining supporters. However, if there are still some of you out there, please do not go along with these tactics, come on over to Obama.

I just complained to Daddy by sending an email to the DNC. Go to the DNC website and tell Howard Dean how you feel if you're disgusted by this whole thing. They're sure not going to read each email, but if they start getting a flood of emails telling them they're letting the party destroy itself they eventually might think about it.

This is really, really disgusting. I'm speechless.

You might want to brush up on the difference between "truth" (which is an absolute) and "opinion". Not understanding the difference is quite Rush-like.

It is cowardly to not recognize a racist statement (yes, even one from a former VP candidate). Worse yet, is someone defending it.

To think I was a Hillary supporter going into this election. Her Rovian tactics ("as far as I know...") are nothing less than despicable. Her endorsement of McCain over Obama equally so.

On the bright side, a. Hillary can not catch Obama in the number of delegates regardless of what happens in Pennsylvania and here on out no matter what her supporters and surrogates spin; b. Obama remains ahead in votes and win; and c. $50 goes to Senator Obama's campaign today in your name.

If Obama was white but kept his rhetorical gifts and had his education and activist background, and opposed the war, he would have won a long time ago.

I can't even begin to dissect this lunacy on the part of the Clinton campaign. The Clintons should absolutely reject Ferrero's statements immediately. Makes me sick...

Are people who believe think there is truth to Ferraro 's comments implying that Obama is some sort of affirmative action presidential nominee? This a very myopic perspective and wrong. Why would this year's election magically contradict the history of who is elected as president? People who say he is winning , because he's black really cannot appreciate how well he has tight roped and fought against the Clinton machine. A lesser candidate( or if your prefer less black man) would have succumb to these racial attacks back in South Carolina. Given the animosity that has been brewing between Blacks and Hispanics, hasn't his race hurt him in states like Texas, CA, and New York amongst latinos. And this dynamic is addressed. The governor of Pennsylvania has documented his plight amongst many who will not vote for him there.... There is clearly a buzz associated with him possibly being the first.., but folks vote their prejudices and convictions. Barack is a great candidate running a great campaign.

I love this debate. Is it not *Gerry* who's the luckiest person on the planet? -- like Jeannine Pierro she stood on her husband's shoulders, took hubby's corrupt money, couldn't read or figure out her own tax return, which she signed...she'd be flipping flapjacks in some diner in Queens if it hadn't been for his crooked $$. Talk about an exquisite over-achiever. And are her true ethnic stripes not now showing...?

If Obama was white, maybe he wouldn't be getting 90% of the black vote. Maybe.

But if Obama was white, maybe he would be getting more of the white vote. Clinton won the exit poll for people who said that race was a factor. Therefore, Obama's race probably lost him more votes than he received.

I didn't realize I was a self-hating white person, criticizing Ferraro because she's white.

This explains a lot of the co-workers I haven't liked, girlfriends I didn't get on well with, professors in classes I didn't like . . . They were white! This is brilliant! I never realized the problems I have with white people as a white guy! This woman is a genius. No wonder we stuck her on the ticket.

Brilliant!

Yeh and I am a women in man's robe. That's what Clinton camp is telling.

1. I am a women in man's cloths.
2. My Penus is actually not a penus.
3. World is actually literally flat.
4. Sun circles around the moon.
5. There was Al Queida in Iraq.
6. Iraq had loads of WMD.
5. World hates our Freedom.
6. If we don't stay in Iraq they will follow us home.
7. And Clinton and Mccain daddy has passed Commander In Chief Threashold test.

PLEASE LET ME TAKE THAT TEST. I WANT TO SEE HOW TOUGH IT IS.

90% voting for him because Hillary and Bill squandered the black vote. that is a story that is never told: they had the love of Black voters and squandered it.

Obama is in the position she is because a majority of the voters in a majority of the states have denounced and rejected Hillary Clinton's politics of divisiveness.

"Given Ferraro's original comments, this is a curious response indeed"

There's nothing curious about it. If the fight turns into a race battle Obama loses. The Clinton campaign knows that and is more than happy to encourage one - as they have been doing all along. The Clinton strategy is to play on and bring out the 'doesn't that black man know his place?' feeling still harbored by some white voters.

Imagine if the situation were reversed, and an Obama surrogate went on the MSM and said that Hillary is lucky she's a woman, and that otherwise she would be here. Clinton has already had success shouting charges of sexism and she would certainly do it again. And the Obama campaign could never get away with flipping it around a al Maggie Williams. The only reason Ferraro and Clinton can get away with this stuff is because they are white, and most voters are white. Those who keep saying that white women as a group somehow have it harder than blacks have a serious case of self-indulgence.

Aimey May....I've been waiting for you to respond to Maxwd's comments posted at 6:38. But since all the nonsense you were claiming was completely disproved by the facts (your whole argument about Obama having no experience or accomplishments is completely destroyed) you clearly would rather just continue to make nonsensical arguments based on anecdotal evidence found in your own mind. It's a shame, but I do believe a number of people probably think like you do.....it would be great to have these discussions in hopes that you might learn something and change your mind but I think that's probably not possible given the passionate nature of your feelings.

Let's get into the Way Back machine and remind ourselves:

A) Who Ferraro even is, and
B) The last time she was relevant

This old establishment Democrat stuff just seems anachronistic. Obama can bring young people and independents to the party. Clinton brings a trip back in time. Honestly, from a long term perspective, what does the party gain from a Clinton nomination? I assume the superdelegates ask themselves that.

If Geraldine had said, "Obama would not be where he is today if he wasn't half white?" would she have gotten the same reaction?

To Aimey May,

Hillary's 35 year experience:

(1) In 1973, failed the DC bar exam

(2) In 1979, Whitewater wrongdoing, which raises today the questions about her delaying in tax release

(3) Between 1986-1993, as a Wal-Mart board member, was supportive of its anti-labor union practices

(4) In 1993, Travelgate financial irregularities and firings of staff

(5) In 1994, could not get Healthcare Plan approved by Democratic party controlled Congress, neither in House nor in Senate. Due to her plan, Democrats lost both houses in the midterm election that year.

(6) As a First Lady of the USA, she had 35% approval rating in 1994, rivalling George W. Bush in low approval rating

(7) In 1996, she was a culprit of the Filegate.

(8) She promissed 200,000 jobs in the upstate New York during her senate campaign in 2000, but never fulfilled

(9) She voted in favor of invading a sovereign nation in 2002, which made America look like a bully in the world, and it distracted our mission of getting rid of Al Qaeda from Afghanistan. She is also part of the genocide in Iraq: half a million Iraqis and four thousand American soldiers died.

(10) Her donors for 2007 Presidential primary included even an indicted 15-year fugitive, Norman Shu; other Hillary's known donors with criminal background include fugitive businessman, Marc Rich; accused sexual harasser and fraud John Burgess and his Buffalo Grove, an Illinois based International Profit Associates; Aaron Tonken, current federal penitentiary inmate in California; a bank fraud, Sant S. Chatwal, founder of Bombay Palace restaurants; Abdul Rehman Jinnah, a Pakistani immigrant.
(11) She learned to exaggerate shamelessly her foreign policy experience when she took vacations to some 80+ countries on tax payer's money with zero output (As one Nobel Prize winner for Peace and other people knowledgeable corroborated).
(12) She learned to copy Carl Rove's playbook to throw kitchen sink at the eventual democratic Presidential nominee. Some of the factual examples include distribution of Obama's picture in ethnic costumes to portray him Muslim, thus play on xenophobia created by Bush Administration; "3:00 am Phone" ad., a replication of Republicans' 80's ad to further the zenophobia; claiming Republican candidate better than the soon-to-be Democratic Commander-in-Chief; and blaming Obama for her own advisor's conversation with the Canadian government on NAFTA, etc.
(13) In her not firing of Geraldine Ferraro, she has become the pre-1980's George Wallace of Southern Democratic Party, playing race card once again, which was initiated by her husband in South Carolina. Most of all, she inherits Bill's legacy of lies and immorality, thus mentally unfit to occupy any position of national and international interests.

Aumey, when people like you still defend Hillary and her racist surrogates, Democrats will lose the November election.

Where's that straight jacket when you need it?

http://osi-speaks.blogspot.com/2008/03/geraldine-ferraro-if-i-had-brain.html#links

Obama is only where he is because he's gotten more votes than Hillary Clinton. And because Americans hate white people.

DISPUTE THAT!!!!

Reagan must have been helped, too, by his voodoo economics.

This is so planned and so cynical. It's the Gaslight trick. Make them think they're going crazy. Make a racist comment and then say that the other guys are playing the race card. I'm sure the Sean Wilentz article was the beginning of this latest sleezey trash.

I really hope this country sees this stuff for what it is.

Geraldine Ferraro is openly using the race-baiting gripe that Clarence Thomas always complained affirmative action made him vulnerable to.

In Ferraro's antiquated view, Barack Obama must not be qualified, because after all, he's black and so couldn't have have earned it.

So, Clarence Thomas was right? Ferraro gets to go right-wing on the electorate with these openly false, and racist statements? Just like that?

Last I heard the Constitution required Presidents to be over thirty-five and native-born. Right now the American People are vetting Sen. Obama the old-fashioned way--and that's the only pass he needs. Those votes are earned, and I don't see anybody taking 'em away from Senator Obama. Without, that is, having to break every rule in the book along the way.

But consider the naked hypocrisy on display here.

As the only token woman Vice Presidential nominee in American history, Geraldine Ferraro is actually presuming to lecture voters, the media and anyone who'll listen about what other people haven't earned.

And before anybody objects or gags on that just-coughedup hairball of truth, tell us what exactly Ferraro brought to the Mondale ticket. She didn't have Reagan's charisma, and she didn't have HW Bush's resume.

Where was Geraldine Ferraro the past 8 (or 16) years? While George Bush & Co. was lying 985 times in the run-up to Iraq? Nowhere. This 'elder statesman' said nothing.

Yet an Illinois State Senator named Barack Obama could see what was happening, and he spoke out against the invasion and occupation of Iraq. Yeah he's qualified.

But think about this. Ferraro violated the twinned ethics of feminist practice and race-&-gender neutral opportunity she originally ran on. With the stakes sky-high and the Democrats running strong into the homestretch, she just stuck a shiv in the frontrunner's back. And she used a vicious racist canard that's absolutely cherished by Reaganite bigots to do it.

Time to call a halt. The standard metric for measuring qualifications for Prznt are history. Pull 'em from the ranks of the people--not the has-beens.

I wonder how many of Clinton's supporters will throw their integrity and credibility away to defend her campaign.

I liked it more when Republicans said ridiculous things, but Hillary has run a disgraceful campaign. We have had the sleazy (and terrible liar) founder of BET, NOW-NY, various supporters who have slammed democrats as "latte drinkers" and bought into all sorts of other sick stereotypes, Campaign staffers that have dismissed half the United States as insignificant, Bill Clinton's remark about South Carolina (Hey bill, You won South Carolina too) and Hillary herself showering McCain with praise.

And that's to name a few. Its interesting to watch Hillary disgrace herself with this trash, but she's also destroying the party in the process.

There are lots of Republicans that make the GOP look god awful, and Hillary is making a similar name for herself in Democratic circles.

No doubt blacks are block voting for OBAMA in large part because he's black. I'm black and to lie and say this is not a factor is so disengenious. get real with yourself and call it what it is. OBAMA does not rate to Hlliary in experience or exposure. he is avery ambitious man who is taking advantage of being black and the anti hillary hatred. should he take advantage of being black...of course whites do it all the time why not...but blacks will tell you in a heart beat that they selected the white person over them because they were black. why not try the same honesty in reverse and stop with the BS that farraro is racist. she is telling the truth.

I have several friends who are HRC supporters. And every one of them includes the fact that she's a woman as some small part of their calculus for supporting her. Likewise, race has some small component in my support of Obama. The fact is we all have a lot of different and layered reasons for liking who we like. And both of these candidates owe part of their success to the fact that they're historical anomalies. They also owe a greater part of their success to the fact that they're both charismatic leaders who campaign hard and have messages that resonate with voters. This has been a long campaign with several debates and plenty of speeches from both sides. For anyone to suggest that that either candidate owes their success to their race or gender, is an insult to the millions of voters who support them. What Ferraro is really saying is, Obama voters aren't astute enough to pick the best candidate. They just like him because he's black.

Better an informed debate, than impassioned and vapid.

I think all of the subjects this controversy touches upon, are brilliantly explained by a dastardly young group of Americans, each hailing from different ethnic origin writting at "Stop Obama". Just Google it.

"Stop Obama," has been criticizing Obama for his subtle and not so subtle use of race, and decrying the political advantage this has given him. While their content is occasionally hard to stomach, I find it superbly written, and exhaustively documented.

I sincerely recommend readers of TPM to take a look. You will not be disappointed.

My personal opinion on the mater, I stand by Ferraro, and I want Clinton to take this as far as possible.

The truth will not rest, nor will it suffer for long.

check out their site: www.stop-obama.org

Please please lets let go of the racist cant here. Ferraro's comment had more to do with his thin resume than the color of his skin. She was to say the least inartful. One should not automatically assume the worst about ones fellow human beings. We will never win the White House if we are not united in purpose.

Xcite

From www.stop-obama.org:

“Aint messing with me mofos, who you thinks you is? Don’t you know your place? Let me put you in place. Making m’self clear?!”

You find THIS "superbly written"?

My friend you should try reading books for a change.

As for everyone trying to justify Ferraro's comment...give me a break.
A seasoned politician who was the first female candidate for VP should know better than to leave room for people to say "I think what she meant was.." about one of her comments.

To say that Senator Obama made it this far "In larger measure, because he is black" is myopic.

Not everyone (Ferraro included) can put their finger on all that makes him popular, what makes him charismatic, what makes crowds of thousands go silent in his presence and want to listen to his message of hope and follow him. What's so different about this senator that sets him apart from Hillary and all her experience? Oh wait...It must be that he's black!

Hey Ohiomeister,

Your comment that Hillary has an advantage in her race for President because of her gender
reminds me of a sick, sick joke. If she were a person of the male gender, because of her brains and self-confidence, she would probably already have been Presidant. When she was young, you see, it was impossible for her to even think of running for President.

Why is it so difficult for you folks to see what a great President she would be!!! It doesn't matter how she became a national figure, what is so terribly important for our country is that people begin to figure out that we need her, in the worst way.

"Had he been a white dude with two years of Senate experience after an undistinguished stint as a part-time state senator, you would be laughing at him for having the audacity to run for the president. Talking about audacity!!!"

Yeah some white dude like John Edwards on his first term in the senate,....keep diggin that hole deeper. Only problem is we're not laughing.

"I find it hard to believe that people don't see how the Obama campaign and its many supporters are fanning these flames to Barack's advantage"

Well, I wouldn't categorize it as fanning the flames,....especially when you get Ferarro accusing the Obama campaign of being racists. Maybe, she is referring to perhaps some random hate mail she received from supposed Obama supporters, but she said Obama campaign. I think Obama should defend his campaign as he did.

Personally, I think Ferarro's comment is stupid. It's stupid because there's no qualifying explanation. She's been given a few chances on why being black(or half black) is an advantage and she said nothing. She only points to other things she's said, but doesn't address her comment. I think it's awkwardly embarassing for Clinton that Ferarro called the Obama campaign racists. That's a weird twist from an ex-vp candidate.

If Obama were white, he'd have wrapped this nomination up before the first caucus.

I'm sorry, dudes, it's right. Obama's campaign is living on race-baiting. Like that accusation of the Clinton campaign circulating that Kenyan picture, on the word of Drudge! If his campaign handlers couldn't raise race all the time, since New Hampshire, would there be a campaign there at all? What's his policy on anything?

The Clinton campaign invented the rapid reaction in '92. The Obama campaign manufactures controversies for a living. And it works, with Democrats. Won't work with Republicans. They don't give a damn about what they say.